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BRC or ALLE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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Investors looking for stocks in the Security and Safety Services sector might want to consider either Brady (BRC - Free Report) or Allegion (ALLE - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.

Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.

Right now, both Brady and Allegion are sporting a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in.

Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value.

BRC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.46, while ALLE has a forward P/E of 17.17. We also note that BRC has a PEG ratio of 2.37. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. ALLE currently has a PEG ratio of 3.82.

Another notable valuation metric for BRC is its P/B ratio of 3.21. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, ALLE has a P/B of 7.87.

Based on these metrics and many more, BRC holds a Value grade of B, while ALLE has a Value grade of C.

Both BRC and ALLE are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that BRC is the superior value option right now.


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